


Do I really mean that less to you?

by Dark_Angel23



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst I guess, Doesn't follow any canon timeline, F/F, First time writing relationship, M/M, My First Work in This Fandom, POV Alternating, POV Arthur, POV Merlin (Merlin), Soulmates, Timeline What Timeline, Well not much really, idk - Freeform, physician!merlin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:41:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27779287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Angel23/pseuds/Dark_Angel23
Summary: In a world where the first words you hear your soulmate say are tattooed on your skin, it really sucks that the first words Arthur hears is the incantation to a spell.Of course, he doesn't know that.In which Merlin realised that Arthur is his soulmate pretty early on, and the king didn't until he was literally one day away from his wedding to Gwen.
Relationships: Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen/Morgana (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 322





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, first relationship fanfic, so it isn't that good. I lost heart halfway through the second chapter, so it isn't as good as the first, and I will probably rewrite it sometime.  
> Also, in this story, Morgana isn't Uther's ward, even though she is his daughter. Shortly after her birth, he mother gave her to a couple of childless nomads to raise her.  
> Leave comments and Kudos!

_ When Arthur was born, no one could understand what was written on the inside of his wrist. _

_ Uther Pendragon never supported the idea of soulmates, until he met Ygraine. But now she was dead. He forced his son to cover them, and told him to never look at them. _

_ Of course he didn’t listen. But no matter how many times he tried, in many ways, he couldn’t make sense of them. _

_ The letters were written in the classic latin alphabet, but the words itself didn’t make any sense. _

_ And then the purge started. _

* * *

_ When Merlin was born, the words ‘ _ _ 𝖄𝖔𝖚'𝖗𝖊 𝖆 𝖘𝖔𝖗𝖈𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖗 _ _ ’ were scrawled across his right shin.  _

_ When Hunith first saw them, an unexplainable feeling of terror had shot through her. _

_ After Merlin turned 18, it was time for him to go away from his small village on the border and find a living in a city. _

_ She sent him to Camelot, to live with his uncle Gaius, even though she knew that the king hated sorcerers and there was a huge chance that he would get caught, by his soulmate, no less. _

_ She just hoped he could handle it. _

* * *

“Sire, the king has requested your presence.”

Arthur started, twisting his body to look at the door to his chambers, where a servant was standing. He nodded. “Tell him I will be along shortly.”

The servant bowed and left, closing the door behind him.

Arthur sighed and turned back around. He looked down at his wrist one last time, where the words ‘t _ yfu a blodeuo’  _ were written. Pursing his lips, he picked up the red cloth, and tied it back around his wrist. No one had to know he was looking at them.

As he walked towards the council room, he ran the words through his head again, trying to pronounce them again and again. None of them seemed correct.

When he opened the doors of the council room, the words flew out his mind, instead concentrating on the grim faces of the Lords and his father.

“Ah Arthur!” Uther greeted him, leaning back in his seat. “There is something that needs your attention.”

Arthur bowed his head slightly, like he had been taught to. “Yes sir, anything.”

“The outlying villages have reported that something has been attacking their crops. At first I had thought that they were rats, but there were witnesses who swear that it was a huge winged animal. I want you to go and investigate it, and if needed, slay the beast.”

Arthur nodded. “I will be leaving as soon as possible.”

“Very well. You are dismissed.”

He turned around and exited the room, walking back to his room, his mind occupied with the situation of the villages.

Halfway to his chambers, he stopped, frowning at the huge closet blocking his way, being dragged by a few servants to a guest room. Arthur leaned against the grey stone wall of the castle, realising it will be some time before he could move again. A few feet away from him, a couple of servant girls were talking, waiting for the same thing that Arthur was. He didn’t pay any attention to what they were saying, until something piqued his interest.

“Did you hear? Gaius got a new assistant.”

Arthur had grown up seeing Gaius moving around the citadel, and was very fond of him. He knew he was getting on in his years, and needed someone else to help him. He just hadn’t expected him to get one so quickly.

“Yes, I overheard Amber saying the other day that the new boy was his nephew.”

Oh, that explained it.

“He rarely goes out of Gaius’s rooms, but yesterday I was in there, and I caught a glimpse of him. He was quite handsome.” The girl giggled quietly, and Arthur mentally raised an eyebrow at her.

“And quite a good physician too. A few days ago Gertude, you know, my neighbor, went to him complaining of a stomach ache, and he gave her a tonic, and five minutes later, it was gone, like it had never even been there.”

The way was finally clear, and the girls walked away, chattering and giggling. Arthur shook his head, pushing the conversation out of his head. He had much more to think about.

* * *

The ‘monster’ that had been plaguing the outlying villages had been just a cluster of hungry pigeons that had decided to pillage the crops at night. The knights just moved their nests a few miles away, and the problem was solved.

When he returned to the Camelot, the whole city was in an uproar. A disease had spread through the Lower Town, and people were falling sick left and right. Thankfully, it wasn’t lethal, and no one had died, but they were still very weak, even after recovering.

Uther forbade Arthur from going out of the citadel, but after a week he was getting skittish, his whole body itching to go out into the forest on the outskirts of the city and breathe in the fresh air. The king had also paused the knight practices, depriving Arthur of the chance of at least practicing and projecting his frustration onto one of the dummies.

The stories of Gaius’s new apprentice were swirling around the castle now, with people in awe of how quickly and efficiently he was working. Of course, they were not completely about his prowess with herbs and medicines, and at least a quarter of the gossip was about how good-looking he was. Arthur had even heard a few servants commenting that they wouldn’t mind sleeping with him. Not wanting to know any more about that, he had quietly slipped away.

Even though he was the Crown Prince, and had no business listening or thinking about servants, he couldn’t get the whispers out of his head. Maybe it was the fact that he was cooped up in his chambers with little else to do, and he was quite curious about this character who had managed to throw the people of the castle in such a frenzy.

Three days later, he had had enough. He hadn’t been sleeping well for the past week, as a result of not being tired enough, and last night sleep had eluded him completely. As a result, he was lethargic and his frustration had reached a tipping point. He was going out of the forest today, damn his father and the consequences.

After quickly dressing and eating his breakfast, he walked out of the room. It was quite early in the day, just after dawn, and no one would be awake. At least, that was what he had thought. 

He was just rushing down the corridor to the stables when he ran into Gwen, who was carrying a basket of fresh eggs on one arm and a load of laundry on the other. He barely managed to avoid crashing into her.

“Arthur!” She exclaimed, her eyes wide in shock. “What are you doing here?” 

Arthur faltered. He hadn’t really expected someone to be out at this time, but this was Gwen. Utterly unpredictable.

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Well?” She demanded.

Arthur deflated in front of her glare, and with a sigh, told her. “I am going for a ride. In the forest.”

“Are you allowed to? I mean, hasn’t Uther forbade you from going out of the castle?”

He gave her a sheepish grin. “Yes. But I am still going anyway.”

She shook her head at him. “I don’t really think I can stop you from going, but I can still advise you. You’re the Crown Prince, and nothing should happen to you.”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “No one had died from the disease, Gwen. I won’t either; if I catch it, which I won’t.”

Gwen sighed, and then pushed past him, continuing on his way. “I hope you have a good time. And don’t fall sick.”

“Yes ma’am.” He saluted mockingly, and grinning, he continued on his way to the stables.

He was worried that he had woken up too early, and none of the stable hands would be there. But when he entered the stables, a redhead boy was brushing a chestnut horse in the farthest stall.

_ Duncan _ . His mind supplied. 

The boy, noticing the sudden lack of light streaming in from the door, looked up and noticed the prince standing there.

“Your majesty!” He stumbled over his feet, barely managing to right himself in time, and gave him a hasty bow. Arthur’s lips quirked up. “How can I help you? Do you need a horse?”

“Yes. As soon as possible.”

The boy nodded vigorously, and turned around and started scrubbing down a hazel mare three stalls down.

It was quite cold, and it was making the smell in the stables quite sharp. Unable to bear it, Arthur decided to wait outside.

He had just walked out of the wooden shed and onto the stone floor outside when he heard a door opening and a babble of voices. It was too low for him to make out the words. He looked around to find the source, and noticed the door of Gaius’s chambers were open. Two people were standing in the doorway. One he recognised as the old physician, the other was someone he had never seen before.

The stranger was tall and lanky, and did not look like anything much. He was too far away for Arthur to make out his features, but he noticed that he had a mop of raven black hair. He was dressed simply in a pair of brown breeches paired with a red tunic. Despite the chill in the air he was just wearing a thin brown jacket. As he watched, Gaius handed him a length of parchment, and what looked like a small plant.

A herb, Arthur realised.

The stranger was his nephew and apprentice. He turned and started walking, but Arthur could not see where, as just then Duncan came with his saddled horse and poked him the arm.

“Ow! What- Oh thank you Duncan.” He smiled at the boy, who looked surprised that the Prince had remembered his name.

Tossing him a coin, Arthur turned around and started leading his mare, Leslie towards the city gates. He probably should have mounted her then and there, but he was afraid that if he did he wouldn't be able to stop himself from urging her into a gallop at that second itself.

He roamed the forest for a good hour, galloping through the underbrush and occasionally stopping to hear the birdsong and smell the air. It felt good to be out of the stifling air of the castle, even though it was just for some time. 

At last, he decided he should be getting back. The sun had risen quite a lot, even though the days were getting cold and sunrise was getting later.

Fortunately he had the foresight to not wander too far from the city, and now he turned his horse around, to return to the citadel before anyone noticed he was gone.

He was a hundred meters from the edge of the forest when he noticed someone crouching at the side of the trail, picking a few flowers growing on a bush there. Arthur slowed his horse down as he approached, lest he was someone dangerous. 

When he was a few feet away, Arthur realised that the figure was wearing a brown jacket.

Gaius’s nephew.

Picking herbs, it looked like.

Arthur probably should have carried on, paying no attention to him, but he was curious as to who was this boy he had heard so much about and had never met, despite him being in Camelot for over a month.

He slowly alighted from his horse, draping her reins over a branch.

The boy's back was towards him, and probably didn’t see him coming.

The fallen leaves were damp, and didn’t make a sound as he approached.

He was just a metre away when he heard him whisper something.

“ _ Tyfu a blodeuo.” _

Arthur looked on in shock as something he had never seen before happened. Below the boy’s outstretched hand, a tiny plant shot up in height and girth, becoming a bush and blooming with beautiful purple flowers in just a few seconds. The boy giggled lightly.

_ Sorcerer. _ Arthur’s mind whispered. He was unable to stifle the gasp that erupted from his throat.

The boy whirled around.

* * *

_ Why do these herbs have to be collected at dawn only?  _ Merlin thought miserably as he wrapped his jacket tighter around himself. He would have given a month’s earnings for not being forced to go out at this time of the day, or at least a warmer jacket. Fortunately, he was going to the forest, and was hoping that the humid air there would be a little more warm.

_ Just use your magic.  _ His mind suggested, sounding a little exasperated.

Why hadn’t he thought of that before?

He loosened his grip a little on the magic roiling under his skin, and sighed in relief as his chilled body warmed up.

While most people had to use spells to do such things, Merlin always knew he was different. None of the sorcerers that had stopped in his village while fleeing from Uther’s tyrannical reign had ever felt their magic as he did.

When he was young, he had asked many mages about magic, and realised that he wasn’t quite the same. No one felt their magic inside them, for once. The closest thing he had heard was a rush they felt when cast a spell.

After poring through a book a visitor had been kind enough to let him borrow, he eventually concluded that he was a special kind of mage, a warlock. According to the book, warlocks were extremely rare, the last account of one being born was more than 150 years ago. The only people that were somewhat similar to him were the druids, but their magic was passed down from their parents, and Merlin was sure that his father hadn’t been a warlock. As far as his mother knew, anyway. At the end of the section, there was a tiny scribbled note about a man named Emrys, who was prophesied to be the most powerful warlock to ever be born. He didn’t pay much attention to it.

He paused when he spotted a yarrow bush off the trail. Checking the list Gaius had given him, he moved towards it. Out of the twenty names on the list, he had already collected fifteen, and he should be getting home soon. There was another long day of checking patients staring him in the face.

Crouching on the edge of the trail, he plucked a few flowers and put them in the basket he was carrying with him. Not knowing how much Gaius needed, he plucked a few more. Finally satisfied, he was about to get up and be on his way when he noticed a small plant on the edge of the underbrush. It was barely bigger than a sapling, and a light green. It was halfway wilted, bending over with the topmost leaves brushing the ground. Merlin looked around for someone coming, but there wasn’t anyone. There was a faint clopping sound on the distance, but whoever it was far away, and anyways what he was about to do would just take a few moments. Taking a deep breath in, he loosened his magic. It burst out of him, and Merlin barely managed to shape it into a tendril. Then slowly directed it inside the soil.

As expected, the magic of the earth started crowding his. It was everywhere, and he had to put in much more effort to push past it. It had been the same since he was born, magic seemed much too attracted to him, and half the time it was the reason he was performing mishaps. He guided his magic to the small plant, and almost wretched it away at what he felt.

It was very nearly dead.

Some bugs had eaten through its roots, and the cries of help of the plant were heart wrenching. Merlin knew it was normal in the cycle of life and death, but he didn’t want the small plant to die.

He had been so focused on his magic that he didn’t realise someone was approaching him.

Making a split second decision, he extracted his magic from the earth and spread a hand over the plant.

“ _ Tyfu a blodeuo.”  _ He whispered, hoping it was the correct spell.

Below his outstretched fingers, the sickly plant shot up, and turned into a bush with magnificent flowers right in front of his eyes. He laughed lightly.

Behind him, a gasp made him whip around, his heart beating in this throat.

* * *

The first thing that Arthur noticed as the boy turned around were his eyes.

A clear, sparkling azure, like a crystal.

The second was the rush he felt.

He couldn’t describe it. It was happiness and sadness at once. Anguish, anger, excitement and all other feelings known to man. It was a jumbled mess, but one feeling stood out.

Intense attraction. 

He had never felt anything like it. But it went as soon as it had come.

Then, through the disorientation, what he just saw registered. Magic. There was no other explanation.

“You’re a sorcerer.” He whispered, reeling from both the weird rush and the fact that this beautiful boy in front of him was practicing magic.

The boy’s flashed gold, as he let out a small gasp.

The next second, he scrambled up, and started walking backwards, off the trail and into the underbrush. His face was lined with desperation and his hands were raised in a placating gesture.

“I’m sorry. Please don’t hurt me.” 

An icicle impaled Arthur’s heart. He didn’t know why. He should have just pulled out his sword and decapitated him right there, but for some reason, he couldn’t. Maybe it’s the beautiful eyes, but he suspected that it was deeper than that, something out of his control.

He breathed heavily, his whole body was screaming at him to pull out his sword and kill him, kill the sorcerer, but his heart said otherwise.

And for some reason, he listened to it.

He stepped back, his hand falling from where it was moving towards his waist, where his sword was sheathed.

The boy, sensing that Arthur probably wasn’t going to kill him right there, relaxed his stance a little, but he still looked wary.

Without saying a word, Arthur turned away from him and made his way to his horse. He climbed on it, and rode away, trying not to think about the fact that he let a sorcerer live.

*****

_ Why did I let him live?  _ Arthur thought for the upteemth time that day.  _ Because he was pretty? How can I become king if I melt at such things? _

“Arthur! Are you paying attention?” Uther’s sharp voice cut through the thoughts. Arthur started, and whipped his head around to face him. “Yes- I mean,” He cleared his throat, “Yes sir.”

Uther gave him a nod of acknowledgement, and turned away, looking dissatisfied. “Be more alert next time.”

Arthur knew that his father wouldn’t like him replying back to him, so he stayed quiet. The discussion continued. 

They were sitting in a council meeting, and to say that Arthur was being bored was an understatement. Seriously, who discussed the crop for an hour straight?!

He zoned out again, his gaze on Gaius and his thoughts on the event that happened that morning.

He had tried thinking about the rush he had felt, but not being able to explain it in any way, he decided to leave it alone and think about what he could. Somehow, he felt that both of them were connected, and had nothing to do with what his mind told him to.

Does Gaius know? His train of thought veered off the worn track. He probably did. The boy is his nephew after all. At this point Arthur realised that he still didn’t know his name.

After all this, he definitely needed to have a talk with Gaius. Perhaps he’ll ask him after the council meeting ended.

As it turned out, Arthur didn’t need to ask Gaius for a word, because he did. 

“Arthur, my boy, I would like a word.” He had said, just as the meeting had been adjourned and everyone was getting up. Arthur panicked, thinking for a moment that he had noticed him staring, but he tamped down on the feeling. Besides, Gaius didn’t look mad. 

“Yes, sure. What happened?”

“Not here, come to my chambers.”

His breath hitched, as he realised that the boy will be there. All of him wasn’t reluctant though, a bit wanted to see him again too. He cut that thought off before it could form completely.

He quickly searched for an excuse to not go, but he had already said that he was free and willing to talk, so there was nothing he could say or do, as that surely would be suspicious and reveal his hesitation. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out what he was hesitant about, especially if the boy had told Gaius what had happened, which he surely had.

He desperately wished his father would call him and give him an excuse to leave, but as the fates hated Arthur, he didn’t.

Hitching his smile, which had fallen sometime during his inner monologue, he replied, “Okay, lead the way.”

* * *

If he hadn’t been brought up the way he had, Merlin might have cursed.

So when he heard the gasp, the only thought that went through his head was _ ‘curse, curse, curse.’ _

He whipped his head around, and blood now cold in his veins. A boy was standing over him, just a foot away. Merlin took in the chainmail, the cape embroidered with the insignia of Camelot, a golden dragon, and the sword on his waist. He stifled a gasp of his own when he realised who it was.

The Crown Prince of Camelot.

Out of all people, it had to be  _ him  _ who discovered his secret?

Merlin was definitely going to die.

For a second, the Prince looked disoriented, but it was gone as soon as it had come. His icy blue eyes were fixed unblinkingly on him, shock whirling in them.

“You’re a sorcerer.” He whispered.

Merlin practically stopped breathing.

Oh no. _ Oh no _ .

Not him. It couldn’t be.

Arthur  _ freaking _ Pendragon couldn't be his soulmate. No way.

A gasp escaped him, and this time he couldn’t stifle it, as just then, a rush of feelings went through him. Everything he had ever felt in his life, and some he hadn’t. 

One of them was attraction, more intense than he had ever felt, with  _ anyone _ .

It was magical, and Merlin was sure his eyes had flashed gold, sealing his fate.

The shock was enough to make his body work again. He scrambled up, trying to make as much distance between himself and the prince, even though he knew it would do nothing except prolong the inevitable.

Merlin’s movement seemed to snap Arthur out of whatever trance he was in. His hand moved towards his sword.

“I am sorry, please don’t hurt me.” Merlin whimpered.  _ This was stupid. That wouldn’t stop him. _ He thought afterwards.

But surprisingly, it did.

Arthur paused, looking scared and guilty at the same time. His hand dropped from where it was itching towards his waist. He looked at him for a few more moments, his face indecipherable, and then turned around and walked back towards his horse. He mounted it with sparing him another glance, and rode away. He hadn’t said a word the whole time.

*****

It took Merlin nearly an hour to get his feet to move again. When he did, he practically sprinted back to the citadel, his mind reeling with the fact that he had been caught using magic by the prince, and the aforementioned prince was his soulmate.

“Ah!” Gaius exclaimed when Merlin ran into his chambers and shut the door, breathing heavily, “You took more time than I expected, but-” His eyes widened when he turned around and saw the warlock panting. “Merlin, what’s wrong?!”

“Magic…. Prince… Saw me..” He gasped, trying to catch his breath.

“Hold on. Sit down,” Gaius pushed a stool towards him, “Drink this water and then tell me.”

Merlin did so, and when he had finally caught his breath, started explaining. “I was in the forest, picking herbs like you told me to, and then I saw this tiny plant that was about to die. I healed it, with my magic, but I didn’t realise that the prince was standing behind me, and he saw me.” 

He heard Gaius' sharp intake of breath. “What happened next? Did he say anything?”

Merlin shook his head. “That’s the odd thing. He didn’t say anything. For a minute I thought he was going to kill me, and then he stopped. He left without saying a word.”

“That…. That is unexpected. Do you have any idea why he would do that?”

Merlin had a pretty good idea, but wasn’t sure if he should tell Gaius. But he was his uncle after all, and whether he liked it or not, he needed to tell him. He sighed sharply.

“He is my soulmate.” He mumbled.

It was silent for a few seconds as Gaius processed the information. “This isn’t good.” He announced at last.

Merlin groaned. “Fabulous.”

*****

Merlin paced around his room, his mind whirling with all the possibilities this could end. Gaius was currently in a council meeting, and had promised that he would bring about Arthur to talk afterwards. He didn’t really like the idea, but was unable to give any good arguments against it. It had been a few hours since he had left, and the council meeting would be ending soon. Perhaps it had already.

The next few minutes blended together, and the next thing that Merlin knew was that the door was being opened, Gaius stepping in. Behind him, there was Arthur. It made Merlin feel a little better seeing that he looked as uncomfortable as he felt.

Over the old physician’s head, their eyes met. A spike of electricity went down his spine. Merlin desperately wanted to look away, to break the contact, but refused to back down. He wanted Arthur to know that he wasn’t just going to keel over and let Arthur do whatever he wanted. Sure, he had broken the law, but what could he do when the law was wrong in the first place?

It turned out that Merlin did not need to break the eye contact, because Arthur did.

Gaius looked at them, looking unsure for the first time since Merlin had met him. “Take a seat, your majesty. It seems we have a lot to talk about.” Arthur gave a noncommittal shrug, and took a seat across from where Merlin was sitting.

It was silent for some time, with none of the parties knowing what to say. Gaius was wringing his hands, while the boys were sneaking glances at each other trying to pretend they weren’t. 

Hmm, Merlin had never noticed that patch of mildewed near the ceiling. Had it always been there or was it something new?

When it became apparent that none of the boys would be breaching the topic themselves, Gaius started, “Sire, this is regarding what you witnessed to-”

“You have no right to kill me.” Both Gaius’ and Arthur’s heads whipped towards Merlin, who was glaring at Arthur with the force of a thousand suns. Dust was swirling around near his feet.

“Why?”

It was the first time he had heard him speak since the morning, when he had sprouted the three dreaded words. This was worse, and it was only one this time. Did he really not understand why killing sorcerers was wrong?

One look at him, and Merlin realised he didn’t. He truly didn’t understand.

It wasn’t Arthur he should be mad at, Merlin realised. It was Uther, who had instigated the whole thing. Turned his son into a merciless killing machine.

Merlin reined in his magic, which was threatening to lash out of him. He doubted it could hurt Arthur, but it could easily destroy the whole of Gaius’ chambers and part of the citadel. Whole of it if he put in a little effort.

“Why?” Merlin spluttered, “You’re going to kill me for something I have no control over?”

Arthur chuckled darkly. “No control over? If you’re lying to avert your death, at least make it believable.”

“It’s true!” Merlin shot up from his seat, glaring at the prince. “I was born with it, I had no choice! Do you think I would have taken it if I had the option of not to?” Gaius said something, but Merlin didn’t hear through the blood thundering in his ears.

“You wouldn’t be the first one! Everyone who has ever been executed for magic in this kingdom made the choice! You aren’t any different!”

“I am! Just because you haven’t seen a warlock doesn’t mean they don’t exist! And as for the people, did they really have a choice?! They chose to use magic because what they had wasn’t enough for them! In this case, it isn’t the people’s fault, it’s your father who was unable to provide for them! It’s his fault, not theirs!” Merlin yelled, breathing heavily after he finally spoke what he felt since he came to this cursed city. Before he could stop it, his magic whipped out and made a few jars fall to the floor.

Arthur flinched a little, but didn’t back down. His face was a mask of stone. “You take that back.” He whispered.

Merlin stuck up his chin defiantly. Now they had arrived at the crux of the problem, and hell would freeze over before he backed down. “No.”

To his shock, Arthur dropped it. “Sorcerers are evil. They have tried to kill us and disturb the peace of the kingdom.” He said, but it sounded like he was reciting it rather than saying it like something he believed in.

“Socerers aren’t evil because of their magic. They are because their circumstances have made them so. And I don’t know if you have noticed, but there have been more magical attacks on Camelot and the royal family since you outlawed magic. Besides, I wasn’t harming anyone. I was helping a plant that was nearly dead.” Merlin tried to reason, while trying to calm his emotions and raging magic.

There was a pause as Arthur thought about it. It came as a bit of a surprise to Merlin, who had fully expected that he would continue yelling at him.

“Besides,” He started, hoping that this last blow would secure his life being spared. “Would you really kill me?”

Arthur gave him an odd look. “Yes, of course. You’re a sorcerer.”

Merlin frowned. “Yes, but after what happened today morning?”

“Especially after what happened today morning. I saw you doing magic.”

“No, the other thing.”  _ Is he joking? Or he doesn’t really know?  _ Merlin thought.

“What other thing?”

“The words?” 

“What words? Are you sure you aren’t senile?”

_ Holy God, he really doesn’t. _

_ He doesn’t.  _ Merlin thought again, sadly this time.  _ He doesn’t know I am his soulmate. _

“I am not going to kill you. But if I ever see you doing it in front of me again, I definitely will.” With that, Arthur turned around and left.

* * *

To say that Arthur was nervous to face the boy and the morning’s events again would be an understatement. But he had been trained from a young age to keep his emotions in, and managed to show none of it.

He didn’t realise when they had arrived at the physician’s chambers. Gaius opened the door, and Arthur saw the boy, who was pacing around the room, look up at them. Arthur’s breath nearly caught in his throat again when he saw his eyes land on him, shining in determination. Arthur held his gaze for a few moments, and the boy’s eyes narrowed a little. Unable to look in them any longer, he turned away.

Gaius asked him to a seat, and he did so, with a nonchalant shrug as not to betray the fact that his heart was beating like a jackhammer and he was extremely nervous.

There was an awkward silence for a few minutes, and then Gaius started, “Sire, this is regarding what you witnessed to-”

Before he could finish, however, the boy interrupted. “You have no right to kill me.” His voice was laden with conviction, and anger was shimmering just below the surface.

Arthur’s eyes widened as he saw dust swirling around his feet in a slow flurry.

Tamping down his fear, he answered with a single word. “Why?”

The boy was silent for a moment, and Arthur saw thoughts swirling around in his crystal eyes. “Why?” He spluttered, sounding even more angry now, “You’re going to kill me for something I have no control over?”

Arthur couldn’t believe he honestly said that. No control over? “No control over? If you’re lying to avert your death, at least make it believable.”

Arthur knew he was making the boy angry, and making a sorcerer angry was something you should never do, but he couldn’t help himself. There was something addicting in riling the boy up, something exciting about the danger. 

“It’s true!” The sorcerer seethed, shooting up, “I was born with it, I had no choice! Do you think I would have taken it if I had the option not to?” 

“Merlin,” Gaius warned, “Relax, your magic is growing haywire.”

Merlin? So that was his name.

“You wouldn’t be the first one!” Arthur yelled back, shooting up from his seat as well. “Everyone who has ever been executed for magic in this kingdom made the choice! You aren’t any different!”

“I am! Just because you haven’t seen a warlock doesn’t mean they don’t exist!”

Warlock? Arthur had heard once a long time ago that these people were born with magic, but he wasn’t sure. His father never let him learn anything about magic except that it was evil. Kind of stupid really, shouldn’t he have an innate knowledge of what he was taught to hate? 

“And as for the people,” Merlin continued, “Did they really have a choice?! They chose to use magic because what they had wasn’t enough for them! In this case, it isn’t the people’s fault, it’s your father who was unable to provide for them! It’s his fault, not theirs!”

Arthur resisted the urge to skewer him with his sword right then and there. This was a low blow.

Suddenly, a few jars fell from a shelf. There was no one near them, and it wasn’t difficult to put two and two together and understand that Merlin was the one who did it.

“You take that back.” Arthur whispered, trying to rein in his fury.

Merlin glared at him defiantly. “No.”

Arthur deflated. He knew this was a lost cause. And he really didn’t want to anger the sorcerer.

“Sorcerers are evil. They have tried to kill us and disturb the peace of the kingdom.” He said, but even now he noticed that he didn’t quite believe them anymore. Maybe it was the boy in front of him, or maybe the fact that he had realised that he didn’t agree with his father’s ideals anymore.

“Socerers aren’t evil because of their magic. They are because their circumstances have made them so. And I don’t know if you have noticed, but there have been more magical attacks on Camelot and the royal family since you outlawed magic. Besides, I wasn’t harming anyone. I was helping a plant that was nearly dead.” Merlin said, much softer now.

He had a point. Arthur didn’t really know if there really used to be less attacks before his father banned magic, but there had been a record of magical attacks in the library which Arthur had leafed through once, and it did seem like there used to be less attacks before.

“Besides,” Merlin started softly, “Would you really kill me?”

Arthur frowned at him. “Of course. You’re a sorcerer.”

“Yes, but after what happened today morning?”

“Especially after what happened today morning. I saw you doing magic.”

“No, the other thing.” 

Arthur was really confused now. What was this boy talking about? Perhaps the stories he had heard of people going crazy after using magic had some truth in them after all. “What other thing?”

“The words?”

“What words? Are you sure you aren’t senile?”

Merlin didn’t reply to that, instead gazed at him with sadness and shock swirling in his eyes.

Arthur realised that he wouldn’t understand he was thinking. It was late, and he wanted to sleep. “I am not going to kill you. But if I ever see you doing it in front of me again, I definitely will.” With that, Arthur turned around and left.


	2. Chapter 2

_ 3 years later _

It was a dreary day. The grey skies seemed to reflect Merlin’s mood as he watched the bodies of soldiers wrapped in white shrouds go up in flames. Beside him, Gaius was staring blankly at a patch of floor peeping out from between the flames, his mind clearly elsewhere. The flames reflected in his eyes, and they seemed grey too.

Across the courtyard in front of the main castle, Arthur was standing too, with a grim look in his eyes as he too stared at the burning corpses of men who willingly laid down their lives for the Camelot.

A group of Odin’s men had snuck in the citadel the day before last, and had launched a surprise attack from the inside itself. It shouldn’t have been that difficult to tamp down on it, but they had also somehow managed to capture a sorcerer, and Merlin’s heart had ached when he saw the emancipated body, clad in chains, being dragged along. When a spear had pierced his heart, Merlin had turned away, unable to see one of his kin killed, even though he understood that he would go to somewhere much better than where he was now.

The attack had been easy to disband after that. The King had the barbarians buried at the back of the citadel early in the morning, while Merlin watched out of the window of Gaius’ chambers. 

Arthur was a much better king than his father, that much Merlin knew. Even though it had only been a year since he had ascended to the throne, the difference in ruling was quite perceptible. Whereas Uther would have had the bodies burned as a spectacle for the people living in Camelot, Arthur had chosen to give them a solemn funeral, with only a few council members, as to preserve the dignity of the individuals, even in death.

Magic was still banned, of course, but really, it was too much of a far fetched thing to even think about. However different Arthur might be from his father, a lifetime of prejudices were hard to get rid of, even though he had stopped the burning of sorcerers.

Merlin watched as Guinevere sidled up to Arthur, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Without a word, he put his hands around her, hugging her tight. 

Merlin looked away, unable to bear the sight. He knew that both of them had been getting closer lately, but it still hurt, knowing his soulmate was in love with someone else.

Merlin should have said something, told him the truth, but hadn’t been able to pluck up the courage. After that fateful day 3 years before, when he had told him what he really thought of sorcerers. They had barely conversed since then, only talking when it was really necessary. It pained Merlin, to be away from someone who was supposed to be his other half, but it had eased as time passed. He only wished him happiness now, no matter with whom it was.

He felt Gaius’ hand on his arm, and allowed himself to be led away, from the awful sight.

*****

Merlin was walking down a corridor in the castle. It was near midnight, and the son of some visiting lord had fallen sick, and Gaius was up in their chambers, tending to him. He had sent Merlin to get a bowl of cold water and a potion to reduce fever from his chambers. Merlin was tired, and did all he could to keep from dozing off while walking.

He was shook out of his stupor with the sound of a door being unlocked. Merlin looked around. He was on the floor where Arthur’s chambers were, and he had no idea how he had gotten here.

He frowned and looked around, and a door swung open to his left. A giggling Gwen walked out, and in the soft yellow light inside the room, Arthur was looking at her with a fond look on his face and a grin on his face.

Merlin’s eyes widened. This was clearly a private moment, but his heart couldn’t help but clench at the sight. He tried to walk away quietly, but before he could do so, Gwen spotted him.

“Merlin!” She exclaimed, smiling at him. “What are you doing up so late?”

Merlin chuckled lightly. He had met Guinevere a week after he had arrived, and had instantly taken a liking to her kindness and her easy demeanor. That was also the reason Merlin could not bring herself to hate her. “Lord Alfred’s son has come down with a fever, and Gaius has sent me to get some things.” He answered.

“Oh! I hope he gets well soon.” She said, and then threw a “Good night” over her shoulder at Arthur and left.

Merlin looked at Arthur. He had an odd expression on his face. Like he was confused, frowning at Merlin. When he realised he was looking at him, his face turned back to a smooth mask of cool indifference. 

Merlin felt frustrated. Why couldn’t he see what was clearly in front of him? Merlin’s heart jumped every time he saw Arthur, surely it was the same with him?

Giving the King a small bow, he greeted him with an expressionless “Your majesty,” and then left too.

*****

_ A month later _

The whole of Camelot was preparing for the wedding of their king.

Arthur had asked Guinevere to be his wife during a feast, in front of the whole council and a few lords.

Merlin had been there too, and he felt like he was going to die.

He had ran away a minute later, and no one had noticed because he wasn’t important. To anyone.

He had cried himself to sleep that night.

* * *

Arthur had long since accepted that Gwen was his soulmate.

The words on his wrist were utter gibberish, something what a baby would say. He had known Guinevere since they were toddlers, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the first words he had Gwen speak were gibberish. But it still didn’t explain why the words on the side of Gwen’s neck were ‘Who are you?’ Not so odd, seeing that she was asking for someone’s identity. Arthur wasn’t sure why had she asked who he was, seeing that he was the crown prince, but it was possible that she hadn’t known.

Pushing these thoughts out of his head, he stood up and walked to the door, on which someone had knocked only moments before.

He opened it, expecting to see the head seamstress, who he had an appointment with right now to measure him for his wedding regalia.

He frowned as he noticed a page boy standing in front of him, breathing heavily as if he had run a long way.

“Your majesty,” He gasped, sinking in a wobbly bow. “The lords of the council have organised an emergency meeting, and wish to inform you of something.”

Arthur’s anger flared. It was his wedding in a few days, and what had happened that these old lords felt was more important?

But he was bound to the council, even as king, and couldn’t very well refuse. He nodded to the boy, and told him to tell them that he will be there shortly.

Arthur closed the door, and walked to his closet, pulling out a jacket and shrugging it on.

He stalked towards the council room, his annoyance now mixing with curiosity. He burst in, fully intending to demand what was happening, but faltered when he saw the faces of the people inside.

The table wasn’t out, and everyone was standing. The air was charged with tension.

“My lord!” Gaius exclaimed, “I am sorry for this short notice, but an urgent matter has arisen. We have found the whereabouts of your sister.”

Arthur frowned at him. “I don’t have a sister.”

Lord Frederick cleared his throat. “With all due respect, you do sire. It is a little odd that you were not informed of this, but we are not surprised. It is, after all, a delicate matter.”

Arthur’s annoyance flared again. “What are you talking about?”

“Your father had sired another offspring, Arthur.” A voice said from the back of the room.

“Guinevere?!” Arthur asked, “You knew?”

“No, I just got to know right now. But we need to go get her.”

“Where is she?”

“Last time we heard, she was travelling with a group of nomads on the northern border of the kingdom. But if you want to get her, you must hurry. I doubt they will be staying there for more than a week. It is very cold there.” Gaius’ soft voice answered.

Arthur nodded jerkily, and stalked out of the room, telling the guards positioned there to inform the knights of the situation and that they will be coming with him, and have someone ready his horse.

He managed to keep it together until he reached his room, and when he did, he couldn’t help but scream out.

In rage, frustration or betrayal, he did not know.

Why hadn’t his father told him? Why didn’t any of the lords?

The answer struck him in a daunting possibility.

The child was sired illegitimately.

His heart couldn’t bear the thought of his father sleeping with anyone but his mother, so he did what he could.

Wrapped the thought in a thick cloth and shoved it at the back of his mind, choosing to focus only on that the child was his sister, and needed to come back to where she belonged. 

In Camelot.

*****

After a day and a half of hard riding, Arthur and the group, which consisted of the Knights, Gwen, Merlin and himself, reached the camp where the sister, who was named Morgana, was said to be. Leon suggested that it will probably be extremely stupid to ride inside the camp with full armour and their weapons glinting, so they decided to stop for the night a few miles away from the nomad camp and go visit them on foot the next morning.

There wasn’t any particular reason as to why Merlin had come with them, he wasn’t a very important member of the council, but they needed a physician, and Gaius was too old to accompany them.

When morning arrived, the Knights and the King, along with the queen-to-be and the physician’s apprentice, walked into the nomad’s camp. They had sent a message the night before, and the leader was waiting.

“Your Majesty,” He greeted Arthur, bowing deeply. “We received your message.”

“Then you must know why we are here.” Arthur’s voice was loud and commanding, but he was unsure. Merlin noticed him share a glance with Gwen.

The leader introduced himself as Aethelred, and asked them to follow him. He led them to a huge tent made of goatskin in the middle of the camp, and ushered them inside.

The smell of stew hit them right in the face. A few of the knights volunteered to stay outside, so the only people who went were Arthur, Gwen, Leon, and Merlin.

Two women were sitting in a corner, both working on a blanket. The older of the two looked up as they entered.

“Husband! Who are these people?” She asked.

“This is King Arthur of Camelot,” Aethelred answered, “They’re here for Morgana.”

The woman turned to look at Arthur, anger shimmering in her eyes, “You can’t take her away from me. Her mother gave her to me to protect and raise.”

The girl in question got up from her seat on the ground, and found her way to them. “Who are you?” She asked Gwen.

“Guinevere.” She answered simply.

There was a small pause, and both of them gasped simultaneously. Aethelred and his wife both exchanged meaningful glances.

Both Morgana and Gwen stared at each other in awe. Suddenly, Gwen reeled back, shaking in shock. “No… You can’t be….”

Morgana stared at her without saying anything.

Arthur frowned, looking at his wife to be and her strange reaction. “Gwen, what is it?”

Morgana’s eyes shifted to him next, and then she wordless pulled up the sleeve of her dress, exposing her forearm. There, black as night, the word “Guinevere” was inscribed.

It took a minute for him to understand, but when he did, he jerked back, in shock. Behind him, Leon had a similar reaction.

The only person who seemed unfazed by this whole thing was Merlin, who met Arthur’s eyes over Gwen’s head. His face was impassive, yet Arthur could understand what exactly he was thinking.

_ “Besides,” Merlin started softly, “Would you really kill me?” _

_ Arthur frowned at him. “Of course. You’re a sorcerer.” _

_ “Yes, but after what happened today morning?” _

_ “Especially after what happened today morning. I saw you doing magic.” _

_ “No, the other thing.”  _

_ “What other thing?” _

_ “The words?” _

_ “What words? Are you sure you aren’t senile?” _

The memory shot through his mind, followed by another one.

“ _ Tyfu a blodeuo.” _

“It’s you!” Arthur gasped, staring at Merlin, “It was you all along!”

Merlin didn’t reply, instead just cocked an eyebrow.

“Did you know?” He asked him desperately.

Merlin’s silence gave him the answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probably write another chapter, maybe a confrontation and some other stuff..


	3. Chapter 3

“How long have you known?” Arthur asked sharply, pacing around in his room.

It was three days after they had come back, and Gwen had wasted no time in breaking off their engagement. Arthur hadn’t fought, he had always felt that something was off in their relationship, something not quite right. Plus, he was still shocked from the fact that Merlin was his soulmate, Merlin the sorcerer whose life he had spared all that time ago. It also gave him an insight as to what had made him do so. Some part of him had realised back then who he was and what he was meant to be to him, and stopped him from killing Merlin. 

“Arthur-” Merlin started, from where he was sitting at the desk in Arthur’s chambers.

“How long, dammit!”

There was a small pause. “Since that day in the forest.”

Arthur barked out an incredulous laugh. “And it didn’t occur to you that you should have told me?”

“It did. But you had made it pretty clear what you thought about me.”

“Which is?”

“You wanted to chop my head off.” He replied indifferently.

Arthur wanted to rip his hair off. He had just received a shock of a lifetime, realising that the person he was meant to be with wasn’t who he had thought, and the man who was his soulmate was a sorcerer who he had threatened to kill.

Oh, and also the fact that the man in question knew that they were soulmates, and didn’t bother to tell him for years, instead watching him fall in love with someone else.

Just as that went through his head, Arthur’s anger fizzled out. Oh God, how difficult would it have been for Merlin to see the other half of his coin falling in love with someone else?

With a heavy sigh, he dropped into the other chair, holding his head in his hands.

“How difficult was it?”

“Sorry?”

“How difficult was it? Watching me fall in love with Gwen?”

“Not as difficult as you’d think. I’ve had time to cope.”

A stab to Arthur’s heart. He didn’t know for whom he felt worse for, himself or Merlin.

“Were you ever going to tell me?”

Merlin sighed. It was the only emotion Arthur had elicited from him so far in this conversation. “Honestly, I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?!” Arthur yelled again. Merlin flinched a little. “I was getting married next week! When else would you have told me?!”

“I don’t know!” Merlin burst out, slamming his hands onto the table. “I don’t know, alright?! And stop acting like you are the only one who has been hurt from this! You fell in love with Gwen, ignorant of the fact that she wasn’t the one you were supposed to be with, while  _ I _ watched you all this time, while knowing that  _ I _ was your soulmate!”

“You’ve had time to cope! Besides, you were the one who knew! You could have told me anytime you wished!”

“That didn’t make it any less painful! And what could I have said? ‘Hey, I, the sorcerer who you had threatened to kill, am your soulmate, and now you have to spend the rest of your mortal life with me?!’ You know I couldn’t have said anything that could make you understand! You were too smitten with  _ her _ .” He added bitterly, slumping back in his seat, his eyes glittering with unshed tears.

The last of Arthur’s anger fizzled out. “I am sorry.” He whispered.

Merlin sniffled, and wiped his eyes, “You should be.”

Arthur gave a weak chuckle, and leaned forward, resting his head on the table.

Merlin leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. Arthur watched him for a minute, and then hating the silence, asked him “Could you tell me something about your magic?”

It was a delicate topic for Arthur, seeing the way he was raised by his father and his hatred of magic, which he instilled in him, but if his soulmate was a sorcerer, he would need to get comfortable with it. He had long since suspected that his father’s ideals weren’t correct, and maybe Merlin could help him.

The sorcerer cracked open an eye, staring at him. Arthur’s breath was blown away by how crystal clear and blue they were. Azure, with gold flecks, they had an unearthly quality to them.

But that was what Merlin was, unearthly.

He nodded slightly, and leaned forward, resting his wrists on the edge of the table, palms facing upwards. He whispered a few words, too low for Arthur to hear, and his eyes flashed gold. The blond watched in fascination as a shower of golden sparks shot upward, condensing into a glowing dragon above the warlock’s fingertips.

Arthur’s first instinct was to pull out his sword, but he forced himself to stay still. As he watched, the dragon took off from Merlin’s hands and towards him, doing a few laps around his head before settling on top of it.

It was pleasantly warm, heating Arthur’s head that was cold from the chill in the air. 

Merlin grinned, his eyes crinkling. Arthur couldn’t help but smile back. He wondered how he had missed the fact that this man was his soulmate, seeing how it made him feel. But he hadn’t really ever seen him smile.

_ Something that was my fault _ . He thought bitterly.

Merlin flicked his fingers, and the warmth vanished from his head. The dragon was gone. 

Arthur didn’t realise that he was staring at Merlin until he cocked an eyebrow.

“Do you want to see something else?” He asked.

Arthur shook himself a little. “No, I want you to tell me something about yourself. No magic. At least not right now. I need a little time.”

Merlin nodded in understanding, then his expression turned a little sheepish. “That might be a problem.”

“And why is that?”

“You see, I am not a normal sorcerer. I am a warlock.”

Arthur waited for him to explain, but when he didn’t, he cocked an eyebrow. “Which is?”

“I was born with magic.”

Arthur waited for a minute, for the information to sink in. When it did, he felt awful. He had threatened to kill him for something he was born with, something he couldn’t change.

“Anything else I should know about?”

“Yeah. Apparently I am the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the Earth, and the druids know me as Emrys, their king. And yeah, I am a Dragonlord, the last to ever exist.”

Arthur’s breath left his body. His soulmate was the most powerful warlock to ever be born, who could talk to dragons. Fantastic.

At the same time, he couldn’t but feel proud, and a little possessive.  _ He _ was the one who had got the most powerful warlock in the world, who also just happened to be the last Dragonlord.

“Anything else?” Arthur asked, dreading the answer a little bit.

“Other than the fact that I have saved your life and Camelot more times than I care to remember, no.”

Arthur noticed a hint of pride in the nonchalance in Merlin’s voice, and the corners of his mouth quirked up. Before he could stop it, it had expanded into a full fledged grin.

Merlin gave him an odd look. “What are you grinning about?”

“You’re amazing.” Arthur replied, unabashed and unashamed.

Merlin blinked at him. “Really? Are you sure, because I do remember a certain day a few years ago when you-”

He wasn’t able to complete, as just then Arthur tackled him in his seat and sent them both crashing to the floor. It was quite remarkable how quickly he had grown fond of him, merely in a few hours, but then again, there had always been something missing in him that he didn’t realise until Merlin had come along and filled it. He hugged him tightly, trying to put everything he felt into it, the guilt, his fondness and regret. “I am sorry for what I did and you are the best thing to ever happen to me.” His voice came out muffled from where he had fallen, his face pressed against the floor.

Merlin chuckled, the sound ringing in Arthur’s ears. He brought his arms up, wrapping them around him as well. Arthur felt the bones press into his sides, and realised that he was thin. Shockingly so. That would have to be rectified.

“You’re forgiven. As long as you don’t threaten to chop off my head again.”

“Never.”

* * *

_ 10 years later _

“MORGANA! WHY IN THE WORLD IS MY CAPE YELLOW AND CROWN PINK?!”

A bout of laughter erupted from the corner near Arthur’s chambers, too loud to be from one person.

“MORGANA!” The voice came again, now more closer to the door. “LORD GRENDRED IS ARRIVING TODAY FOR MY AND MERLIN’S ANNIVERSARY AND I NEED TO GREET HIM WEARING THEM!”

A patter of footsteps was heard as Morgana and Gwen ran away, pushing Merlin into the corridor. Before he could turn around and sprint away too, the door to Arthur’s chambers burst open, revealing the man himself, who stood in the doorway, fuming. Merlin was surprised that there wasn’t steam coming from his ears.

“Ah Merlin!” He asked in a fake cheery voice. “Have you seen my deranged excuse of a sister?” 

Merlin shook his head. Too quickly, apparently, as Arthur’s eyes narrowed at him.

“Liar!” A voice came around the corner where the three troublemakers were standing just a minute before, followed by the poking out of a face. “Aunt Morgana and Aunt Gwen went there,” he pointed toward the corridor where the wives had rushed down. “But I suggest that you deal with dad first,” He nodded towards Merlin, “It was his idea.” 

“Brooke!” Merlin hissed. Two strings of laughter followed his reprimand. “Is.. Is Keyon there with you too?!” 

“Yes father,” Another voice answered, male this time. Merlin lunged towards them, but they slipped away from his fingertips, their red hair glinting in the sunlight as they ran down the corridor.

Wincing, Merlin faced back towards Arthur, who had narrowed his eyes at him. “Who did the spell?” He asked him.

“Morgana.”

Arthur nodded contemplatively, and then pointed a finger at Merlin. “I’ll deal with you later.” He said, before taking off in the direction where Morgana and Gwen had run.

Merlin sighed, and started off where Keyon and Brooke had sprinted away. They weren’t brother and sister, but they surely acted like siblings. Morgana and Gwen had adopted Keyon when he was a baby, around four years ago, and Merlin and Arthur had followed a year later, with Brooke, who wasn’t much younger than Keyon.

There had been an argument between Arthur and Morgana, regarding who will be the heir to the throne. Arthur wanted Keyon to take it, as he was the male, but Morgana didn’t want her son to grow up in a stuffy atmosphere where ‘old men tried to put their outdated ideas into young and impressionable minds’. She wanted Brooke to be the Crown Princess, and felt that she would make a much better queen because she didn’t take anyone’s shit. Gwen and Merlin agreed with her, and sat out while the siblings were screaming at each other. Finally Arthur relented, realising that he was outnumbered three to one. 

So that was how Brooke was raised to be the Crown Princess. But she sure didn’t act like it.

“Surrender or you will be murdered!” A voice came from somewhere around Merlin’s waistline. He stiffened mockingly as two sword tips poked him in the back.

“So what do you choose? Yielding or death?” Another voice said.

“Yielding, my liege. I don’t believe that I will be able to stand against two fearsome warriors such as yourselves.” He said, trying to not let his amusement slip into his voice, and failing.

Two voices burst into uncontrollable giggles, and Merlin grinned, turning around. Keyon and Brooke were standing there, both brandishing wooden swords they used for practice.

“Come on,” Merlin said. “Cook has made you both cucumber sandwiches, and threatened me with a beating if I didn’t get you both to the kitchen to eat them.”

Keyon and Brooke exchanged glances of delight, and ran off in the direction of the kitchen, Merlin following them with a smile on his face.

*****

“You know,” Lord Grendred started, “I always wondered what it was like when you realised his majesty, King Merlin was your soulmate.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” The three of them were sitting in the feast, the chatter of cutlery and voices in the background.

“You were about to marry the Princess Guinevere, right? How did you feel when you realised that she wasn’t the one you were meant to be with?”

Merlin and Arthur exchanged glances. This was a very personal topic, and no one in their right mind would ask such a thing, but Lord Grendred had had too much to drink. Merlin shrugged. He wouldn’t even remember it in the morning, so they decided to humor him.

“Well,” Arthur started, taking a long swig from his goblet and leaning back into his seat. Merlin rolled his eyes at his theatrics. “I had always known that I would marry for love, no matter what my father said. When I started seeing Gwen in a new light, I thought she was the one. But she wasn’t. When I realised it was Merlin, I wasn’t as surprised as you’d think.”

“Why?” Lord Grendred asked.

Arthur shrugged. “There was something missing in our relationship. I didn’t realise it until Merlin came along and spilled the beans. When I started courting him, that was when I realised, both of us were perfect for each other.” He tossed Merlin a fond smile. He grinned back.

Before he could continue though, a loud yawn interrupted them. Merlin looked around, and saw Keyon blinking sleepily. Beside him, Brooke was doing the same.

“Well,” Merlin started, getting up. He was glad for the excuse to slip away, both Lord Grendred and Arthur were drunk, and he really didn’t want to stay around and see what happened next. “I think I will go and put those two to bed.” He nodded towards the children.

“I’ll accompany you.” Gwen said hurriedly. “Morgana’s started her antics again, and I really don’t want to see those knights get angry.” Morgana was infamous for tricking men, starting up debates with them and weaving them into a net until they lost. It was fun until the knights were drunk, the debates were on controversial topics, and tempers were low. All three of which were applicable right now.

Gwen nodded to Lord Grendred and his wife, who was sitting beside him, and scooped up Keyon. Merlin did the same with Brooke.

As they exited the room, an angry shout erupted, followed by Morgana’s raucous laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, the last chapter is here. Let me know in the comments if you'd like a epilogue as well. With Brooke and Keyon finding their soulmates as well.


End file.
